Two Across the States in March/April 2007

Map of route across the States from California to Upper New York State

2009-10-27T04:55:00.000-07:00

Heading East!

2009-10-26T02:04:00.000-07:00

Following on from our recent trip through Central America, our car is now back in California. We shipped it back with Bob and Thelma Howells' Landcruiser and both cars are now parked up in the garage just north of Los Angeles.

Two Landcruisers ready for the next big trip

Over the next two months my car will be checked over and serviced ready for the drive we have planned across the States. We will head up into Eastern Canada and then back into the US, driving south through Maine and Vermont to our finish in Upper New York State. Our leaving date will be in the last week of March and the trip is planned to finish on the 27th April.

My next blog will give full details of the trip including the places and people we aim to see and visit.

Latest news

2009-10-25T08:19:00.000-07:00

With just over three weeks to go before we head off on our great trek across the United States, my ace motor engineer, Chris Cooper, has flown out to California to check the car over and carry out any work that is necessary. He is combining a week in the sun with a bit of work!

He's taken with him the latest electronic wizardry to boost the power output of the Landcruiser. With the added weight of the extra fuel tank, sump guards, security cage etc., the car struggles when we hit long inclines or need to overtake a truck on a hill. This electronic box of tricks boosts the brake horse power by about 10%. It can be switched on and off at will, so that fuel economy should not be too badly affected. It will be interesting to see how much the performance is enhanced.

We've more or less finalised our route which will take us across California, into Arizona for one night and then into Colorado for four nights. We will be staying in Vail as the guest of Jim and Leejun Taylor. There is a link to Jim's website on the right hand side of this page. The site has many great photos of the various rallies he has entered. From Vail we head south into New Mexico and Santa Fe. Then on into Texas where we will be staying with friends from the rallies, the Crouchers and the Nelans in El Paso, and Ahmad Fakhr in San Antonio. I'll give more details of the route later on.

We leave London on the 19th March, which will give us over a week to do all the final preparations. Another adventure is about to begin!

'T' Minus Nine and Counting!

2009-10-24T01:31:00.000-07:00

Just nine days to go till we head off from Malibu, California on our trip. We leave London this afternoon on the BA flight to Los Angeles, hoping that we have taken all the clothes we need for temperatures ranging from minus 15C in parts of the Rockies to over 30C in the Southern States! Still, any shortages we can make up for on the way. Unlike some of our trips we are not in a third world country this time and shopping won't be a problem as we head east.

As far as I know the car is now fully serviced and ready to go. All we need to do is repack everything - spares, tools, camping equipment for roadside meals and hopefully not overnight sleeping and our clothes.

Bob and Thelma join us in four days time for a few days in the Californian sun and then we leave on the 28th March.

I'll start posting photos as soon as we get going.

California and nearly ready to go.

2009-10-23T16:47:00.000-07:00

We arrived in California on the 19th March and have spent the last few days getting ourselves over the 7 hours of jet-lag, as well as checking the car over and making sure we have all the spares and equipment we need, not only for the trip across the States, but also for the tour of India in October.

Bob and Thelma arrive this evening from London and we will have three days here in California before we head for Arizona next Tuesday.

Yesterday I went to the local (Santa Monica) AAA offices (Triple A as the Americans call their auto club) to discuss the route and see what help they could give us for the trip. I came away with a detailed route itinerary as well as guide books for all the states we will be driving through. Three carrier bags in total!!

The weather here is simply glorious after a couple of cloudy days, and one rainy day.

The evening sky just after the sun had set looking out over a calm Pacific Ocean at Malibu, California

Tuesday 27th March - Off at last!

2009-10-22T17:17:00.000-07:00

After planning this trip for nearly six months, we left Malibu, California this morning at 6.15am. The early start due to a long drive of over 550 miles to Sedona, Arizona and also an attempt to miss the Los Angeles morning rush hour.

After yesterday's cloudy and drizzly day, it was a relief to set off with clear skies and a beautiful sunrise over the Santa Monica mountains. We decided to avoid the centre of Los Angeles by driving north to the 101 freeway and then south to the junction with the 405 freeway and then to drive north-west to join the Interstate Highway I15 from Los Angeles to Las Vegas.

After two hours we stopped at Victorville, a town on the edge of the Mojave Desert for a typical American breakfast of eggs, bacon and hash browns. Great breakfast but not very good for the waistline!

Enjoying breakfast 'American Style'

Wendy then took over the driving for the two hundred miles across the desert to Needles, a town on the Colorado river near the Arizona state line. Glorious desert scenery with cacti, rugged mountains and wonderful wide open country. The Interstate Highway makes the driving very easy and even though there were plenty of 'big rigs', overtaking was never a problem.

Needles is situated on the Colorado River and we think must be named after the mountains nearby that look like giant needles. We then decided to take a 20 mile detour to visit Lake Havasu City, famous because an American industrialist decided to buy London Bridge and rebuild it on the edge of Lake Havasu. It's certainly very strange to see an icon of London in the middle of the Arizona desert!.

London Bridge 6,000 miles from 'home'

Myself, Bob and Thelma with London Bridge behind us.

A last shot of the bridge with the cars in the foreground and a London Double Decker bus adding to the surreal nature of the place!

Three more hours of heading east brought us to the outskirts of Flagstaff. The town is located some 80 miles south of the Grand Canyon and is famous for its astronomical observatories. These are located high in the mountains which have very clear air and make for very good observing. We then turned off I40 for the 30 mile drive south to Sedona. A very beautiful drive down Oak Creek Canyon with towering cliffs of vivid red rocks on either side of the road.

The stunning red rocks near Sedona.

Sedona is a very popular tourist location and all the way into the town on either side of the road there were hotels and campsites.

We have two nights here in Sedona so tomorrow we can explore some of this beautiful scenery before we head up into the Rockies.

Wednesday March 28th - Sedona, Arizona

2009-10-21T18:42:00.000-07:00

It was a good idea to start the trip by having two nights in one place. This meant there was no need to pack things away for another long drive and so this morning we were able to have a late breakfast and then see what we could organise for our day here in Sedona.

Looking at all the activities available we plumped for the obvious, a two hour off-road drive in a Hummer! The weather is really quite cold here at the moment and so as we headed off for the tracks leading into the mountains just south of Sedona I felt decidedly chilly sitting in the back of the open Hummer. The drive took us through National Park areas with wonderful scenery. Our driver, Steve, took us along quite rugged tracks, though both Bob and I were disappointed that the terrain was not that difficult for the Hummer. Still, it was a fun drive and the pictures below show us with the marvellous Arizona countryside.

The amazing US Army Hummer.

We were dropped back in the centre of Sedona and had a good Mexican lunch before driving to a small town outside of Sedona, Oak Creek Village. Once again we drove past the stunning red mountains that ring Sedona. They are very impressive and as the sun started to set the colours of the rock went from a sand colour to deep red. I hope the photos below do justice to these wonderful mountains.

We finished off the afternoon by doing some shopping and then planning our drive for tomorrow. We aim to visit Meteor Crater which is about 30 miles east of Flagstaff and then head north through the Painted Desert (Navajo Indian territory) and on to Monument Valley. From there we drive through the south-eastern corner of Utah before reaching our overnight stop in Durango, Colorado.

March 29th - Sedona to Durango. Colorado

2009-10-20T17:20:00.000-07:00

Today's drive is more or less due north from Sedona, crossing into Utah and then to our final destination, Durango, Colorado.

We drove the 30 miles back up Oak Creek Canyon to meet the Interstate Highway I40 from Flagstaff to New Mexico. A further 40 miles east we turned off on Meteor Crater Road. The crater, created by a meteor some 50,000 years ago is an impressive sight and I hope the photo below does justice to one of nature's wonders. The Crater is about a mile across and over 2.5 miles in circumference. We visited the museum and saw an informative film on the meteors and impact craters in the solar system.
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Our drive then took us due north through the Hopi Indian reservation and then the Navajo reservation. After about 50 miles we joined our first 'off-road' section. This was a winding track that took us for about 50 miles through the reservations, passing a Navajo mission. Finally, we found our way to Monument Valley in Utah. Thick snow flurries and low cloud luckily cleared as we entered the National Park. Monument valley is a place everyone should see. The towering formations are quite incredible and stand out from the vast flat plain.

Our drive then took us into Colorado and the weather became sunny, although still cold. Still more wonderful mountain formations came into view on our drive into Colorado and the rock spires in the photo below we called the 'Cathedral' because the formation on the right reminded us of the spires of a cathedral.

During the the final 50 miles into Durango we encountered more snow flurries and we arrived at the Rio Grande Best Western Hotel after 438 miles of memorable driving. Best of all we were greeted by free cocktails!

March 30th - Durango - Vail, Colorado

2009-10-19T17:48:00.000-07:00

We woke up to the unexpected sight of thick snow! The car was completely covered in a 3 inch layer of snow. Suddenly what we had expected to be an easy drive of about 300 miles to Vail had become a great deal more difficult.

We gave up the idea of shopping in Durango and leaving about 11am, which was a shame because Durango is a very interesting and pretty town in the Rockies. High mountains ring the town, and covered in snow, the sight was one to be treasured. As we left the town, Bob wanted to see the steam railroad which takes passengers on five hour trips through the mountains. As luck would have it the train was just about to leave so we were able to watch it pull away from the station - a 19th century steam engine working is a great sight.

Our drive then took us high into the Rockies. We peaked at over 11,000 feet in thick snow.

The road was quite tricky at times and warnings of only driving with chains or snow tyres added to the sense of excitement. Once through the mountains we had a drive of about three hours along Interstate I70, heading towards Denver. The road follows the Colorado River and is a wonder of road engineering. Great lengths of elevated highway cling to the sides of the canyon and make for a great driving experience.

We arrive in Vail as the weather changed and thick snow fell, mirroring the start of our journey.
We were welcomed by Leejun to Jim and Leejun Taylor's house, high in the mountains, which has spectacular views over the Rockies.

Leejun then treated us to some great US hospitality. This included fine wines and good food. Three more days of this and we won't be able to move as we will have put on too much weight!!

March 31st - Vail, Colorado

2009-10-18T18:12:00.000-07:00

This is the first of our two full days here in Vail, although to be accurate I should say Avon, a town about 9 miles west of Vail.

We woke up to falling snow and a layer of snow covering the ground.

Good weather for Bob who was taking to the Vail ski slopes with Leejun. Myself, Wendy and Thelma were having a less strenuous day of looking at the sights of Vail and then taking the gondola up to the top of the mountain to join Bob and Leejun for lunch at the exclusive Game Creek Club.

We drove the 13 miles into Vail, parked the car in a vast underground car park and then headed for the centre and the shops. Vail is a very pretty modern town that is right on top of the ski slopes. A walk of no more than a couple of hundred yards takes you from the car park to the ski lifts.

It is the largest ski area in the US having over 5,000 acres of ski runs. There are ski lifts to take you everywhere over the mountains and the Vail ski area is one of the most popular in the US.

The shops are typical of ski resorts - ski shops, designer clothing, jewellery, real estate and high class restaurants. After an hour of looking, and not much buying, we took the gondola up to the top of the mountain. From the gondola station at the top we took a snow cat for the final mile to the Game Creek Club.

Sited in the middle of many ski runs and beautiful snow covered mountains, the Club is a wonderful place to have lunch. Bob and Leejun arrived after us, having had near perfect skiing conditions. Leejun took the picture below of Bob on the slopes, waiting for Chair 4.

A group photo taken in front of the Game Creek Club with Bob & Leejun about to set off down the slopes and the rest of us to take the Snowcat back to the gondola and then down to Vail.

Bob & Leejun had a further hour's skiing before we all went shopping in the town.

The day was rounded off with afternoon tea in the Sonnealp Resort Hotel.

Tomorrow we are being taken by Leejun for a day trip to Aspen, a two hour drive away from Vail.

April 1st - Vail/Aspen, Colorado

2009-10-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

Well, today was the first day when Bob and I didn't drive. Leejun kindly offered to take us all in her Chevy Suburban to Aspen which is about 100 miles to the east of Vail.

We left the house just after 10am and arrived in Aspen just before noon. On the way we passed Aspen airport which is an interesting sight because of all the executive jets parked there. Aspen is one of the number one spots for the super rich.

The town itself is different from Vail in that it is laid out like most US towns, with wide roads running parallel to each other. Vail on the other hand is squeezed between I170 and the mountains and is much more like a European ski resort.

Below is a photo of one of Aspen's multi-million dollar homes.

Aspen has many expensive shops selling jewellery, glassware, furs and even fossils and meteorites! I mention the last two because we found a shop selling these and I bought a meteorite that came from Argentina and Bob bought an Ammonite that came from Russia! Hardly souvenirs of Colorado but memorable all the same.

A good snack lunch and a bit more shopping and then we drove the 100 miles back to to the house.
Beautiful sunny weather in both directions and a chance when we arrived back to take some photos of the house and the surrounding mountains.

This evening we are heading into Vail for a farewell dinner with Leejun to thank her for a wonderful stay.

April 2nd - Vail to Santa Fe, New Mexico

2009-10-16T07:17:00.000-07:00

Yesterday's drive of just over 300 miles was through some stunningly beautiful mountain scenery. I should start with mentioning the great farewell meal we had in Vail the evening before. American restaurants have definitely improved and it seems you can always find a 'gourmet dining experience' in an American town. We certainly struck gold at the Sweet Basil in Vail. The wine list included a Mouton Rothschild at $3,250 a bottle. We spent a few minutes discussing if we should try it, but then decided on a slightly cheaper bottle of white wine at $42!

We left Vail at 10am having spoken with Jim Taylor, who had arrived in Shanghai on his classic rally going from Hong Kong to Beijing. We were all able to thank him for his and Leejun's wonderful hospitality. Hopefully we will be able to reciprocate when they are in Europe in June at the end of his next rally, the Peking to Paris event. Our drive took us south through the high Rockies. Wonderful mountain scenery with flowing rivers and towering mountains on either side of the winding road.

The road peaked at over 10,000ft and the mountains reached over 14,000ft. Bright sunny weather and a temperature that never fell below 5C made the trip truly memorable. After an hour we reached the old mining town of Leadville which gives a great impression of how the West must have been in the 19th century. Further on, at over 10,000ft, we came to another mining town, Buena Vista. Like Leadville, old wooden building lined the main street. We saw the opera house and a saloon that could have come straight from a cowboy movie.

Another hour's drive brought us to Highway 17. There can't be many roads in the world that are dead straight for 49 miles! We drove through the small town of Antonito and came across the Cumbres and Toltec scenic railroad. There were wonderful old steam engines parked up in the sidings by the side of the highway.

The railway doesn't start tourist rides until the end of May, I presume because of the snow in the mountains.

Another fifteen miles and we came to the state border with New Mexico. A great drive along empty roads across the high plains of New Mexico for about 100 miles and we arrived at the state capital, Santa Fe. Our hotel, the La Fonda, was next to the cathedral and the central plaza.

We found a restaurant within walking distance where the waiters sang songs from Broadway musicals. A fine way to end another great day of travelling across the US.

April 3rd - Santa Fe to El Paso, Texas

2009-10-15T17:05:00.000-07:00

Just one night in beautiful Santa Fe; such a shame. Still we were able to spend an hour or so looking at the centre of the town before we headed south, and into Texas.

Around the corner from our hotel was the Loretto Chapel. The chapel, which is privately owned, is famous for its unique 'miracle spiral staircase. The chapel was built in 1873-8, and an unknown carpenter was asked to construct the double 360 degree spiral staircase. How he built the staircase is unknown.

When he finished he simply disappeared without asking for payment. The staircase is unique because it has no central support, nor is it supported by the wall or the floor above. Adding to the mystery is that no one is sure what wood was used in its construction. Various studies have been made of the staircase but no satisfactory answers as to how it was built have ever been forth coming.

We then visited the cathedral which was built between 1869 and 1884. There is a marvellous marble font and very beautiful pictures depicting the stations of the cross.

Over breakfast we had made the decision to drive slightly east of the direct route to El Paso and go through the 'UFO capital of the United States', Roswell, New Mexico. The town is about 200 miles south of Santa Fe in the middle of wide open flat scrub lands. It became famous in 1947 after the 'Roswell Incident' occurred. A farmer found strange metallic debris on his land which he handed in to the local police. They called in the US Air Force who then sealed off the area and over the next few weeks rumours abounded that the Air Force had recovered three alien bodies. The facts have never been fully explained and as a result many people believe that there was a major cover-up by the US Government. Even to this day nobody is certain what happened. We visited the UFO Museum and Research Centre in Roswell
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This gives a very comprehensive report of the Incident. It was, much to my surprise, well worth the visit.

The drive south from Roswell of over 200 miles to El Paso took us through some very beautiful mountain scenery. We descended from the mountains towards the White Sands National Park, famous for its pure white gypsum. Nearby is the US Air Force missile testing station.

We then had a 60 mile drive, of virtually straight roads to the Texan border. We entered our sixth state in the early evening and drove into El Paso via the western loop which took us high above the city and then down to the Rio Grande, and our final destination.

We were all delighted to meet up with our friends from previous rallies, Kenny and DeeAnne Croucher, who had kindly invited us to stay. Later in the evening we were joined by Ernie Nelan (Fred's wife) for a lovely dinner by the hot tub and pool. Ernie told us she had heard from Fred that he and Jim Taylor seemed to have overcome most of their car problems on the rally from Hong Kong to Beijing. (You can click on Jim Taylor's link, to the right of this posting, and read about their rally)

Tomorrow we have a rest day here in El Paso and maybe we will be taken up in Kenny's light airplane for an aerial tour of El Paso.

April 4th - El Paso, Texas

2009-10-14T17:56:00.000-07:00

A rest day!

Kenny and DeeAnne are treating us to true Texan hospitality - plenty of fine food and drink! The morning started with a walk along the bank of the Rio Grande, which is just a couple of hundred yards from their house.

They are within yards of the New Mexico state line and also very close to the Mexican border which is on the south side of the Rio Grande. Following the walk we had a great cooked breakfast to set us up for the day.

Bob and I took our cars to the local car wash to wash the dirt off that we have accumulated during the past week during more than 2,000 miles of driving.

Kenny who is a very experienced pilot, and has flown all over the United States and the Caribbean, asked if we would like to take a short flight over El Paso. Bob, Thelma and myself said yes, and off we drove to the local airport where Kenny keeps his Cessna single engine plane.

Much to our surprise he asked if anyone would like to pilot the plane, under his guidance, and Bob took him up on his offer. The picture below is of Kenny and Bob at the controls of the Cessna.

We took off and flew for about an hour along the border with Mexico. The Rio Grande is the border, dividing the towns of El Paso and Ciudad Juarez in Mexico. I took the photo below of Downtown El Paso with the bridge crossing the Rio Grande into Mexico in the centre and Ciudad Juarez in the background.

It was a great way to see the area and Bob handled the plane excellently, even bringing it into land.
Following the flight we returned to the house and we all went shopping and sightseeing in El Paso. El Paso is renowned for its cowboy boots and we saw them being made at Rocketbusters, a famous maker. They can cost thousands of dollars and seeing how much work went into making them I can see why.

A light lunch at a Mexican restaurant and then the short drive back. This evening Ernie is cooking us all a meal. Tomorrow is the longest drive of the tour, nearly 600 miles to San Antonio and the hospitality of another great rally friend, Ahmad Fakhr.

April 5th - El Paso to San Antonio, Texas

2009-10-13T21:21:00.000-07:00

We were all very sad to have to say goodbye to Kenny, DeeAnne and Ernie after such a short time with them, but our journey across the States is over a very great distance in a comparatively short period of time and, as a result, our stays in each place have to be limited. We managed to have a group photo taken by Maribel, Kenny and DeeAnne's housekeeper.

Today we travelled just under 600 miles across western Texas to San Antonio. After driving 200 miles we reached the small town of Fort Stockton, and it was here that Bob and Thelma decided to take the smaller roads to San Antonio, going via the border town of Del Rio. We, on the other hand, decided to keep to the Interstate 10 and have our lunch at Ozona, where there is a memorial to Davy Crockett.

Crockett died at the Alamo in 1836 during the Texan war of independence against the Mexicans. The Alamo, which is in San Antonio, will be one of the places we will visit tomorrow.

Texas is in two time zones and for the second time on this trip we had to put our watches forward as we entered the Central Time Zone.

After lunch we continued the drive across the increasingly green Texan countryside and wild flowers carpeted the central reservation, and the verges, of the highway.

The last 100 miles into San Antonio was through forested areas, quite a contrast to the desert we had driven through in the morning.

We arrived at Ahmad's house at around 6pm. 560 miles in 9 hours. About half an hour later Bob and Thelma arrived. We were all then treated to some wonderful Iranian cuisine. Once again the hospitality of our rally friends is simply incredible.

We are looking forward to seeing a little of this historic town tomorrow.

April 6th - San Antonio, Texas

2009-10-12T16:19:00.000-07:00

We rose to a beautiful sunny morning and Ahmad cooked us all a great breakfast. He then took his superb pink 1960 Ford Thunderbird out of his garage, so that we could admire this wonderful car. He took Bob & Thelma out in it for a short drive.

Ahmad then drove us all into town to do some shopping at a huge Western clothing store. We bought cowboy boots, shirts and jeans which we will wear when we are at Billy Bob's night club in Fort Worth. More about that when we arrive in Fort Worth tomorrow evening.

He then drove us to the centre of San Antonio to visit the two major attractions of San Antonio, the Alamo and the River Walk. The Alamo, which was a Spanish mission, is a small building and is one of America's most historic sites. It was here in 1836 that the famous battle took place against the Mexicans during which Davy Crockett, and all the Americans fighting for Texas independence from Mexican rule, died.

Being Good Friday the place was very busy and long lines snaked through the building to see Davy Crockett's rifle amongst other artifacts on display in the building.

In the plaza in front of the Alamo is the very impressive statue erected in 1936 in memory of all those who died in the battle, with Davy Crockett prominent on the side frieze.

We then walked the short distance to the River Walk. This is actually a canal, rather than a river, which snakes through the centre of the town. It is a very pretty and peaceful place away from the traffic. Water taxis take tourists up and down the waterway and restaurants line the banks. We stopped and had a snack at an Italian restaurant before driving back to Ahmad's house. Ahmad has two delightful small Chinese Sharpe (pronounced 'sharpay') dogs, Rostam and Sohrab. Sohrab has black claws and a black tongue! We will be sad to leave Ahmad & Lida's hospitality tomorrow, and for a bit of fun Lida showed the girls how to dress for Billy Bob's.

Tomorrow we drive up to Fort Worth, which is about 300 miles to the north-east.

April 7th - San Antonio to Fort Worth, Texas

2009-10-11T16:57:00.000-07:00

We woke to rain and a drop in temperature of about 30 degrees Fahrenheit! What a contrast to yesterday's sun and warm weather. Still, with a comparatively short drive of less than 300 miles to Fort Worth the poor weather wasn't too much of a problem.

We thanked Ahmad and Lida for a marvellous couple of days at their house. Invitations were extended to them to stay with us/Bob and Thelma when they are next in the UK. Before we left we took the photo below of Ahmad, Lida and their two dogs.

Our drive took us more or less due north along Highway 281. It wasn't long before snow started falling and there were times when visibility was severely restricted as the photo below shows.

The snow didn't settle on the road and we were able to make reasonable progress as we passed through a small town called Johnson, where President 'LBJ' Johnson lived. Further on we passed a museum to Billy the Kid in Hico, about 100 miles south of Fort Worth.

As we drove into Fort Worth the snow stopped but the temperature remained around freezing. Our hotel, The Stockyard, is located in the Fort Worth Stockyards area, where cattle used to be transported to and from Fort Worth. The stockyards are now a big tourist attraction, not least for the country and western music performed in the bars and saloons. Tonight we are going to one of the largest entertainment saloons, Billy Bob's.

We arrived just in time to see the daily cattle drive through the roads of the stockyards. Texan longhorn cattle were led through the streets by about half a dozen cowboys. The cattle are magnificent creatures with their huge horns.

We went to Billy Bob's in the evening and watched the country and western live bands playing before seeing our first bull riding competition! Six cowboys attempted to ride a bull for eight seconds without falling off or touching the bull with their free hand. They hold on with one hand to a rope that is tied around the bull's belly and hang on for dear life as the bull is released from the pen. Only two managed the eight seconds and one was disqualified for touching the bull. Later on we watched a country and western singer who we had never heard of, John Conlee. Included in his repertoire was a song dedicated to the troops fighting in Iraq. We then had a dance before we headed back to the hotel around midnight.

Tomorrow we are going to a small town called Lufkin, about 100 miles south of Dallas. On the way we will visit the site in Dallas where JFK was assassinated. Let's hope the weather is warmer.

April 8th - Fort Worth to Lufkin, Texas, via Dallas

2009-10-10T15:34:00.000-07:00

At least the weather is a bit warmer this morning and we were able to have a short walk around the hotel, looking at the various saloons and shops of the Stockyards area. However, as it was Easter Sunday most of the shops were closed and no shopping took place. We then drove into Downtown Fort Worth which is a mixture of new skyscrapers and older brick buildings from the 1920's. We saw the art deco Bass Concert Hall which had two gigantic angel statues with trumpets.

Then a short drive took us to the Fort Worth Water Garden. This lived up to its billing as being one of the sights to see in the town. The gardens have only just re-opened and are a wonderful place to see how water can be used to both entertain and relax you. Three large displays are within the gardens. The first is a marvellous waterfall where you can walk down to the base of the falls with water cascading down from three sides.

The second is a large pool with multiple fountains, called the Aerated Water Pool. The third is a large blue wading pool completely surrounded by a high wall which has water flowing down it. Hopefully the photos give some idea of how special this place is.

Our drive then took us to Dallas, 45 minutes from Fort Worth, and to Dealey Plaza, the place where JFK was assassinated. We went first to the museum in the Texas Book Depository, which overlooks the Plaza, and was the building from where Lee Harvey Oswald shot the president. The photo below shows the depository and the window from where Oswald shot is on the right, one floor down from the top.

Seeing the exhibits and the video/audio displays vividly brought back the dreadful events of 43 years ago. We then went outside and standing on the 'grassy knoll' and looking at the exact spot in Elm Street where Kennedy was shot, was very moving. This photo is taken from the grassy knoll, and the spot where Kennedy was shot is marked by a cross in the centre of the street.

A short walk took us as to the memorial to JFK that the people of Dallas built in memory of Kennedy. The whole visit was well worthwhile and one we will all remember.

We then headed south-east to Lufkin, our destination for the night and just under halfway to New Orleans. The road was quite empty and we made good progress to arrive at our hotel, after a 200 mile drive, by 5pm. The countryside in this part of Texas is very reminiscent of the English countryside, with green fields and many deciduous trees. This is such a change from the dryness of western Texas.

Tomorrow we move on into Louisiana and New Orleans in the 'deep south' of the US.

April 9th - Lufkin, Texas to New Orleans, Louisiana

2009-10-09T20:58:00.000-07:00

A drive of over 350 miles took us out of Texas and into Louisiana. We were sorry to leave Texas after six days travelling across from west to east. Wonderful wide open spaces and great scenery are how I will remember the state. We left Lufkin at 9am and drove on minor roads to the state border about 70 miles away. Once into Louisiana we headed more or less due east towards Baton Rouge and then New Orleans. We arrived at about 3.30pm.

We saw little damage remaining from the destruction caused by Hurricane Katrina in 2005, apart from large trees uprooted by the side of the Interstate 10, coming into New Orleans. The city is still not fully recovered from the storm and many areas are still uninhabitable.

Our hotel, the Omni Royal, is in the heart of the French Quarter. It is ideally located within a few minutes walk of both Bourbon Street, famous for its jazz and blues bars, and the banks of the Mississippi River. Large cargo ships were coming up the river from the Gulf as well as tourist paddle steamers docking at the River Walk quay.

In the evening we went to a local restaurant and then walked along Bourbon Street to see the live bands playing in the many bars.

The end of another very enjoyable day.

April 10th - New Orleans, Louisiana

2009-10-08T16:37:00.000-07:00

Today was the first day we have had of real rain. Heavy rain during the morning meant we spent most of the time walking around the French Market. I bought a book about Hurricane Katrina which has recently won the Pulitzer Prize for news journalism. I wanted to learn more about how the city was devastated in August 2005 and how it is re-building itself.

We then took one of the river cruises aboard the steamboat, Natchez, A two hour ride down and then back up the Mississippi. The trip was really worthwhile. Along the way we passed St. Louis Cathedral in the heart of New Orleans, the oldest in the United States.

We then saw some of the damage done by Katrina. Wharves that were totally burnt out by exploding chemical containers that were turned over in the storm.

We also saw the historical site of the Battle of New Orleans as well as many industrial complexes along this mighty river.

As we approached the end of the trip we had a wonderful view of the New Orleans skyline.

We arrived back at the dock in time to go to the Imax theatre and see a movie made about Katrina. Seeing the storm damage on a 50ft screen was quite unbelievable. One shot in particular left a lasting impression. A house had landed on top of an upside down pick-up truck! All you could see of the truck was the bonnet and headlights.

This evening we will sample some more of New Orleans Cajun cooking as well as the very special night-life. Tomorrow we head north for Mississippi and the historical town of Vicksburg, famous for the civil war battles fought there.

I can't end this post without a mention of my football team - Chelsea FC. A fantastic win against Valencia in the quarter-finals of the Champions League, after being a goal down. I managed to follow the match on my mobile phone whilst cruising the Mississippi!

April 11th - New Orleans to Vicksburg, Mississippi

2009-10-07T16:11:00.000-07:00

Just two nights in New Orleans is simply not enough time to be able to enjoy the city. Still, we have seen the French Quarter and been on the Mississippi River during our short stay. The weather has improved, and as we drove away from the hotel the sun came out. Our drive took us east and then north going through some of the worst hurricane affected areas of the city. For several miles on both side of the road we saw derelict houses with roofs torn off and uprooted trees. It was very depressing, especially to think that more then eighteen months have elapsed since the hurricane struck.

Today's drive is one of the shortest of the tour, just over 200 miles. We crossed from Louisiana into Mississippi and then took some beautiful back roads through the state. Everything is so wonderfully green and, with the lack of other traffic on the roads, we had a marvellous drive. The photo below was typical of the drive.

We were heading for Vicksburg, one of the most important Civil War towns. It was at Vicksburg that the Confederate Army was defeated by the Unionists in 1863. Vicksburg became known as 'Gibraltar, as it controlled the mighty Mississippi River and after the southern states ceded from the Union they effectively stopped all river trade at Vicksburg. General Grant was sent south to take the town and after a siege lasting over 40 days the Confederates surrendered. Vicksburg has a very interesting Military Park which is sited where the battle took place. Some 17,000 graves, 14,000 with no name, are in the park.

Also, there is a very interesting museum dedicated to the armour plated steamboat Cairo, and used by the Unionists in the war. The Confederates sunk it by using a remotely controlled torpedo device. It was raised from the river in 1964.

Our hotel in Vicksburg, The Cedar Grove, is an old mansion house and has been restored to its former glory. It was good to be able to stay in an old house, rather than another modern American hotel.

We had one last drive to do before the end of the day and that was across the Mississippi River into Louisiana and to the small town called Tallulah. One of our granddaughters is called Tallulah and we wanted to take some photos for her! There were many different signs with Tallulah on them, but this one caught our eye.

April 12th - Vicksburg to Memphis, Tennessee

2009-10-06T16:31:00.000-07:00

Before we left Vicksburg we had a tour of the hotel. Our guide told us all about the house and how the original owner, a Mr.Klein, fell in love with a thirteen year old girl and built the house for her. He married her several years later and they moved into the house in 1840. A great hotel and well worth visiting.

We left the hotel at about 11am and drove down to the banks of the Mississippi to see a series of murals, painted by local artists, on the walls of the flood protection barriers.

One of the murals was about President Teddy Roosevelt who came to the area to bear hunt. The story goes that when they finally trapped a bear he refused to shoot it. A political cartoonist drew a picture of the President with a baby bear tied to a tree and, as a result, toy manufacturers started making baby bears, which became known as 'teddy bears'.

Our route then took us north through the green Mississippian countryside. It was really very beautiful, but with some very poor agricultural towns. We stopped at a state park, River Road, which was on the banks of the Mississippi River. We watched giant barges being pushed upstream by enormous 'tugs'.

There was a 75 ft viewing tower from which we could look over the park and the river. The only other people we met in the park were an English couple from Lancashire who were driving south visiting the various blues towns, on their way to a wedding in Austin, Texas
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We continued our drive to Memphis, where we were booked in to Heartbreak Hotel, opposite Graceland, Elvis Presley's home. In the evening we took the shuttle bus into downtown Memphis and sampled some of the great blues music being played live in Beale Street at B B King's night club. A great way to end another wonderful day's driving.

For those who might be interested we have now driven more than 4,000 miles in just over two weeks, through 9 states. Tomorrow we head into Kentucky and Indiana before we reach Chicago on Saturday.

April 13th - Memphis, Tennessee to Evansville, Indiana

2009-10-05T20:14:00.000-07:00

We were up early so that we could have one of the day's first tours round Graceland. The house was on the opposite side of Elvis Presley Boulevard to our hotel, A shuttle bus took us the 200 yds across the road and up the winding driveway to the house.

There is a large Presley industry in Memphis and when you see how many people are employed at the house, the hotel and the various Presley enterprises in Memphis, it shows how important this is to the local economy. Literally tens of thousand of people come from all over the world to visit Graceland.

The house is much smaller than I was expecting although when you are inside it there are more rooms than are visible from outside. The whole visit took about 40 minutes and was quite interesting though, as I'm not an Elvis fan, my interest was somewhat lukewarm. The visit of the house ends at Presley's grave where an 'eternal' flame burns.

We then went back across the road and looked at his car collection as well as his two jets. The picture below is of his favourite car, his pink Cadillac.

We left Memphis and drove due north into Kentucky. The state is famous for its blue grass and thoroughbred horses. We had now left the 'deep' south and it was noticeable how much better off Kentucky is compared to Louisiana and Mississippi. The weather had now become decidedly colder and light rain fell. The drive though was through rolling countryside which made up for the indifferent weather.

We took the back roads and went through a national recreational area known as the Land between the Lakes. This is a strip of land about 40 miles long that is bounded by the two lakes created by dams on the Tennessee and Cumberland rivers. In the middle of the area is a state park that has recreated some of the original prairie, which they are stocking with bison and elk.

We carried on for another three hours and drove into Indiana across the Ohio River. Evansville, our destination, is just inside Indiana. Tomorrow another 300 miles of driving and we will arrive in Chicago for our three night stay.

April 14th - Evansville, Indiana to Chicago Illinois

2009-10-04T14:38:00.000-07:00

Firstly, some readers of this blog may have noticed I have updated the header at the top of the home page to show the states we have driven through and those that we will be visiting in the remaining two weeks of our trip. We have made the decision not to go into Canada, principally because of the customs requirements for taking a non-US registered car out of the States and then bringing it back in four days time. The cars are currently in the US under a Custom's Bond. This has to be surrendered when you leave and then re-applied for when you re-enter the States. This is simply too much red tape for a few days in Canada. Secondly, I have started to post more photos to the blog. So, if anyone wants to look back over the past two weeks of postings you will see new photos. I hope these improve the site.

Returning to our trip. Today we drove over 300 miles from Evansville to Chicago. The weather was poor virtually the whole way and at one point there was quite heavy snow, which luckily did not settle on the road and delay us. Bob & Thelma decided to visit an old World War II troop landing ship that is docked on the Ohio River in Evansville. We, on the other hand, took a short drive around downtown Evansville. Evansville is not the prettiest of towns but interesting all the same, with one or two fine early 20th century homes.

Like other mid-western states Indiana allows gambling; here it is on the Ohio River with replica steamboats used as casinos.

Once we had toured the centre we headed due north on Highway 41, all the way to Chicago. A great drive through flat agricultural countryside, but with plenty to see on the way, including a massive Toyota car plant just north of Evansville. Bob and Thelma were taking minor roads running just to the west of Highway 41, in the state of Illinois.

One aspect of the US, which is so different from the UK, is the American patriotism. In the US it is 'up there in lights'! Everywhere you go there are giant Stars and Stripes and banners proclaiming 'God Bless America'. We drove past this car showroom on the road into Chicago; another good example of how far people go to demonstrate their patriotic feelings.

We arrived in Chicago at about 4pm. We managed to take a few photos of the Chicago skyline from the car as we drove the last few miles into the city and the one below shows one of Chicago's famous elevated trains in the foreground.

The weather here is a great improvement with bright skies and a temperature of 9 Celsius. We are staying at the Hilton Chicago, built in 1927 and overlooking Lake Michigan. Our room on the 17th floor has a wonderful views of the lake with Navy Pier and Grant Park to the north.

To the south is the Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium and the Adler Planetarium at the end of the promontory.

April 15th - Chicago, Illinois

2009-10-03T15:27:00.000-07:00

The first of our two days here in Chicago and we woke to a gloriously sunny day. Such a change from the weather on our drive north yesterday.

We decided to see some of the sights within walking distance of the hotel. About two blocks south of the hotel is the Millennium Park which has the most amazing modern sculptures. The first we came to was the Crown Fountain. Two immense rectangular structures, built of glass bricks that face each other about 50 yards apart.

As we got closer we could see that on the side of each building there is a projected face that blinks and smiles at you.Apparently every so often each face 'spits' a jet of water across the plaza between the buildings! Unfortunately the fountains do not operate in the winter, but when they are working in the summer, children play in the water. The next sculpture, done by the renowned artist Anish Kapoor, is even more amazing. It is called Cloud Gate and is an enormous highly polished stainless steel bean shaped object, which has a passageway, that you can walk through.

The whole object is like a gigantic mirror and reflects images back at you from all angles. When you stand underneath it and look up into the sphere it takes time to work out where your reflection is.

It is a truly wonderful work of interactive art. As I have said on many occasions on this blog, I hope the photos do the sculptures justice.

Our walk then took us to the impressive Frank Gehry designed Pritzker Pavilion.

Alongside the Pavilion is the BP Bridge, again designed by Gehry.

This is a serpentine walkway linking the Millennium Park and Daley Bicentennial Plaza, next to Grant Park. Both structures are stunning visual works of architecture.

We then walked to the Navy Pier. Along the way we crossed the Chicago River which snakes right through the centre of the city. The city's skyline is one of the most impressive in the world. Towering skyscrapers, with the Sears Tower at 110 storeys the tallest building in the US, make a magnificent backdrop to the blue waters of Lake Michigan. Standing on Navy Pier and looking at Chicago is one of the best sights of any city in the world.

At the end of the pier there is the Smith Museum of Stained Glass. A huge collection of stained glass is on display. Amongst the works are wonderful examples of work by Tiffany.

The photo below is of a modern piece which I thought our American friends might appreciate!

In the afternoon we took the car for a short drive up to Evanston to visit Adam and Joseph, the son and grandson of our goods friends, Les and Barbara in Malibu.

We dined out at the Signature Room restaurant on the 95th floor of the Hancock Building. With clear skies we had a spectacular view over Chicago.

As the sun set the city came alight.

Below us the Ferris wheel on Navy Pier looked like a giant Catherine wheel as its lights changed both in pattern and colour.

The perfect end to another wonderful day on this trip across the States.

April 16th - Chicago, Illinois

2009-10-02T15:59:00.000-07:00

Our second full day in Chicago was like he first; glorious blue skies and sunshine. We took the number 6 bus to the Science Museum which has some wonderful exhibits, including a German U-boat, the only one in existence outside Europe.

U505 was captured by the Americans in the Atlantic in 1944. The German captain tried to scuttle the submarine but failed and the Americans then towed it back to Bermuda. The submarine has been at the museum since 1954 but has only recently been moved inside where it is the centrepiece of a major exhibit on German U boats. We took the twenty minute tour through the submarine and were amazed to discover how small it was inside and how 58 sailors were able to live in such cramped quarters, for months at a time.

Other exhibits were on trains and planes, with a Boeing 727 suspended from the ceiling! We left the museum around 1pm and took a short walk to the University of Chicago campus where one of Frank Lloyd Wright's famous 'prairie' houses is located. The Robie house is an excellent example of this style of Lloyd Wright's architecture.

Sadly, we were not able to take a tour of the house as the next tour was in several hours and we did not have the time.

Our next port of call was to another piece of Lloyd Wright architecture, the Rookery, in downtown Chicago. He was commissioned to re-design the interior of this 12 storey building. Directly opposite from the Rookery is the Chicago Federal Reserve Building. There is a visitor centre which, amongst other things, has a million dollar pile of twenty dollar bills!

Next to this is a glass cube containing one million one dollar bills.

The Reserve is responsible for destroying old notes and as we left the building we picked up two small bags of shredded dollar bills given away as a souvenir to all visitors.

Once again my movie camera has gone wrong. The last time was in Central America when I dropped it onto a stone floor. This time, for reasons unknown, the display has failed. As a result I decided it was time to buy a new camera and so from now on the photos posted to the site will be from my new Sony HDD video.

This evening we are dining at one of Chicago's top restaurants, La Spiaggia. This will be a fine way to end our visit here. What a great city Chicago is, and to think we have only 'just scratched the surface' of all the things you can see and do here. Once again I find myself saying 'we WILL be back'.

Tomorrow we drive over 400 miles due east to Pennsylvania and the southern shore of Lake Erie.

April 17th - Chicago, Illinois to Erie, Pennsylvania

2009-10-01T16:58:00.000-07:00

This morning we were treated to the marvellous sight of the sunrise over lake Michigan with the lights of Chicago in the foreground. What a way to remember Chicago!

Our three night stay in Chicago is over. We are all really sorry to be leaving this fabulous city. Everyone agreed that our next visit must be for a much longer period than just three days.

Today's drive is one of the longest of the trip, over 450 miles across four states, Illinois, Indiana, Ohio and Pennsylvania. The drive out of Chicago along Lakeshore Drive is a wonderful way to leave the city. We passed the Chicago Bear's (American football) stadium, Soldier Field. It was recently increased in size and the addition has been described as a 'padded toilet seat'! Not long after we crossed into Indiana and then Ohio. We were now in Eastern Standard Time, five hours behind BST. It was a long slog across flat open agricultural land.

We passed round the two big cities on the route, Toledo and Cleveland before entering into Pennsylvania.

The Cleveland skyline with with Bob and Thelma 'leading the way'.

We were now just south of Lake Erie, heading for our motel on the shores of the lake just east of Erie City. We arrived at about 5pm, having driven for nearly 7 hours. The motel was on an escarpment above the lake, which looks like an ocean!

These Great Lakes are really vast, quite unlike anything we have in the UK, or Europe. Tomorrow we drive to the Niagara Falls, in New York State.

April 18th - Erie, Pennsylvania to Auburn, New York

2009-09-30T17:12:00.000-07:00

The weather has become decidedly colder with the temperature falling to about 5 degrees Celsius. We awoke to light drizzle but reasonably clear skies. The motel did not have any breakfast facilities so we drove a few miles along the lake to a local restaurant. The Americans always seem to do a good cooked breakfast, and this was no exception. Eggs Benedict for me and fried eggs for the others.

Our drive today was along the south shore of Lake Erie to Buffalo, and then on to Niagara Falls. Lake Erie is a huge body of water which freezes over in the winter. Shortly after we left the breakfast restaurant we crossed into New York state, our fifteenth state of the tour. A hundred mile drive along one of New York State's turnpikes brought us to the outskirts of Buffalo. We passed through the centre of the town and then a further twenty miles on we came to the falls. Niagara Falls are one of the great natural wonders of the United States.

Below is a photo of a plan of the falls and you can see my 'navigator, trying to work out how to get the car across!!

With all the rain and melting snow the falls lived up to expectations. You can see the American falls in the foreground and the Canadian falls towards the top right of the photo. In the centre foreground is the frozen spray coating the rocks at the base of the falls.

We walked out to the viewing platform, which is cantilevered out over the Niagara River, and gives a fantastic view of the American side of the Falls. The Canadian Horseshoe Falls are much further away and, to see them fully, you need to cross over into Canada. We did not have the time to do that, but were not disappointed with the view from the American side.

We had made the decision to continue along the south shore of Lake Ontario rather than take the freeway. On the way we stopped in a state park and went down to the shore. A beautiful spot with no one else in sight.

Our drive along the lake was well worth it. One very pretty lakeside village after another. Wonderful houses, both old and new were on each side of the road. Once again we encountered very little traffic, making the journey so much more enjoyable. Lake Ontario is about 150 miles long and 50 miles wide. It is up to 800 feet deep and according to the information notice in the state park the water 'turns over' once every 6 years. We then drove about 50 miles south-east to the small town of Auburn.

Auburn is just west of Syracuse, one of the largest towns in Upper New York State. Tomorrow we drive up into the Adirondack Mountains on our way to the state of Maine and the easternmost point of our trip. Here in Auburn there is quite a lot of snow and we are expecting more as we drive into the mountains.

April 19th - Auburn, New York to Essex, Vermont

2009-09-29T15:32:00.000-07:00

Another bright and sunny day as we left Auburn for our drive across the Adirondack Mountains of Upper New York State. To start with we drove by the 'finger' lakes near Auburn, so called because they are a series of long thin lakes.

Everywhere there was snow, often quite deep, and the lakes were either completely frozen over or with small areas of open water. Winter is definitely still here in New York.

We drove round Syracuse and then about 50 miles north we entered the Adirondack National Park. This is an area of over 6 million acres, with much of it pristine wilderness. Our drive took us past one frozen lake after another with pine clad mountains all around.

A staggeringly beautiful drive and one which we will remember for a long time.

After about 100 miles we came to Lake Placid, the site of two Winter Olympics; in 1928 and 1980. After Lake Placid we descended from the high mountain areas to Lake Champlain. The lake is the boundary for much of the New York/Vermont border and we took the car ferry across the southern part of the lake into Vermont.

From there our drive took us up the eastern side of the lake to our hotel outside Burlington, one of the largest towns in Vermont. We are staying at The Inn at Essex which describes itself as Vermont's Culinary Resort.

This is because it houses the New England Culinary Institute. This evening we are going to sample some of their wares!

We have now driven over 5,700 miles and by the time we reach our finish we estimate a total distance of about 6,500 miles.

April 20th - Essex, New Hampshire to Kennebunkport, Maine

2009-09-28T16:32:00.000-07:00

Two things happened yesterday that I should mention. The first was that both Bob and I were stopped for the first time on the tour for speeding! We were not travelling together but were both pulled up by police using radar driving in the opposite direction and then stopping us. Luckily we were only given a warning and told to keep to the limits. Secondly, yesterday evening we had one of the finest meals any of us has ever had. The hotel, as I mentioned yesterday, is part of the new England Culinary Institute, and they produced for us a meal that was simply superb. We could not believe our luck in finding such an amazing gastronomical experience. If anyone reading this blog is thinking of visiting New England, then you MUST visit the Inn at Essex in Vermont!

Back to today's drive. This morning we woke to bright sunshine and beautiful blue skies. Our drive took us first to the state capital, Montpelier. We drove on the Interstate highway through lovely scenery with pine trees and rolling hills.

In the centre of Montpelier is a very impressive State Capital building which has a golden dome.

The town was a very interesting and is beautifully situated in the middle of pine clad hills and frozen lakes. We then drove about 50 miles to cross into our seventeenth state, New Hampshire. We then turned off the Interstate highway and took to the back roads for the drive across New Hampshire. We drove into Cardigan State Park and after a few miles the tarmac road ended and we drove on gravel through quite dense pine forests.

Thick snow was on either side of the track and not long after beginning the of the track we came up behind a snow plough clearing the road.

The drive through the park continued for about 15 miles before we returned to the road heading for Concord, the state capital of New Hampshire. Another 75 miles and we came to Portsmouth on the Atlantic coast . We then crossed the state line into Maine, our eighteenth state of the tour. We drove to, Ogunquit, one of the small towns on the Atlantic coast, and took the photo below of our car parked next to the ocean.

I looked at the speedometer and it read 6001 miles since we left California, three weeks ago. We asked one of the visitors to the beach to take our photo and Suzanne, who was from a town near Montpelier in Vermont, kindly agreed to do this for us. Thanks Suzanne.

It was a great feeling to think that we had actually crossed from the Pacific coast to the Atlantic coast.

Our hotel in Kennebunkport was just a few miles further on. Bob and Thelma arrived a few minutes after us, having taken a different route from Essex. We all then went for a short walk in the town. Whilst on our walk we met Beth walking her two lovely looking Labradors, or are they golden retrievers? Apologies Beth if I have it wrong!

We are staying here in Kennebunkport for at least one more night before we head back west to finish the tour at Jim and Leejun Taylor's house in Saratoga Springs, New York.

April 21st - Kennebunkport, Maine

2009-09-27T14:59:00.000-07:00

As we are staying two nights here in Kennebunkport we didn't need to have an early start. Bob was keen to see the Kennebunkport Tramway Museum. Unfortunately, the museum is closed until the beginning of May, but luckily a very friendly volunteer at the museum offered to show us some of the trams that were not in locked sheds.There were many different trams on display, including this one that I did not manage to find any information about..

There was also a 1924 tram that was a gift from the Mayor of Blackpool to the museum.

We left Bob and Thelma at the museum as we were keen to explore the coast as well as seeing the lighthouses that Maine is famous for. We drove a few miles north to Prout's Neck a promontory that has beautiful homes built all along its shores. From there we drove a few miles to the entrance to Portland Harbour and looked at the longest operational lighthouse in the US, the Portland Head.

It was built in 1791 on the authorisation of George Washington. An interesting museum told the history of the lighthouse and of the many wrecks that have fallen foul of the Maine weather and the treacherous coastline.

We then drove into Portland to visit the Portland Art Museum that is home to many paintings by American artists. We were particularly keen to see the museum's collection of Winslow Homer paintings. Homer spent much of his life in Maine and we learnt that he had a studio on Prout's Neck. The Dulwich Picture Gallery recently had an exhibition of his work so it was fascinating to come to the state where he worked and to actually see the place that was the inspiration for many of his paintings.

We spent the next couple of hours exploring the coast south of Portland and walked down to the beach at a place called Old Orchard.

Scattered on the sand were thousands of clams that had been washed up in the recent terrible storms that have hit Maine.

When we were in Chicago we saw news reports from this area that showed houses being washed into the sea. All along the coast we saw signs of the very high tides that accompanied the storms as well as the damage done to roads and houses.

The final part of the tour took us through Kennebunk, the town just inland from Kennebunkport. As we drove out of the town we went through an area of very large colonial style houses.

Another great day as we near the end of our trip.

April 22nd - Kennebunkport, Maine to Bennington, Vermont

2009-09-26T18:31:00.000-07:00

Once again we have been blessed with wonderful weather. The temperature is in the high 70's and forecast to get even hotter in the next day or so.

Bob & Thelma have decided to head towards Cape Cod for the final night of the tour, before we arrive at Jim & Leejun Taylor's house for three nights, whilst we hare driving about 200 miles due eat to the town of Bennington in Vermont. Before we left Kennebunkport we drove to see the summer residence of former President George Bush Snr. The compound is set on a promontory and is guarded by Federal security men. Apparently, George and Barbara Bush are keen and active supporters of the local community.

We then did some shopping in the town and we bought a print of the coastline done by a local artist, Will Cunha.

We took the freeway south and then turned east as we left Maine, entered New Hampshire and then Vermont. We had lunch in the small town of Keene. We visited one of the covered bridge just south of town which are being restored and have become visitor attractions.

We then drove to the town of Brattleboro through wonderful wooded scenery. We discovered that Rudyard Kipling lived for 20 years at Dummerston, a village north of Brattleboro.

It was at Dummerston that he wrote the Jungle Books. We had to drive along dirt tracks to see his house, but it was well worth it. Because my my mother as a young child looked like the Mowgli, Kipling's character from the Jungle Book, it was a special moment for me to look at the house where he had written the books.

We continued our drive on via Hog Back Mountain, where we looked out over wooded hills to three states: New York, Vermont & Massachusetts.

Our final destination was Bennington near the state border with New York. We were staying at the Four Chimneys Hotel.

This is an old house, converted into a small hotel, with 12 rooms. Set in 11 acres it was a marvellous place to end our day.

April 23rd - Bennington, Vermont to Mayfield, New York

2009-09-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

Today was our last day of driving. We can't believe that it is now four weeks since we left Malibu. We have driven over 6,400 miles, visited 18 states and gone from the Pacific to the Atlantic. What a wonderful experience it has been.

We left our hotel, The Four Chimney Inn, and drove to the Bennington Monument.

This colossal obelisk, over 300ft tall and the highest structure in Vermont, was built at the end of the 19th century to commemorate the victory over the British at the Battle of Bennington during the War of Independence. There is a lift inside the monument, but sadly there was a power failure and we were unable to go to the top and see the three states visible; Vermont, Massachusetts and New York.

Just around the corner from the monument was the Bennington Museum. Here they have a display, dedicated to Grandma Moses who was a local resident. The exhibition is housed in the old schoolhouse she used. It was moved from its original location in a town near Bennington, to the museum.

Grandma Moses came to fame in the 1940'a for her paintings that depicted rural life in Vermont. She lived to over 100 and has become one of the most renowned American 20th century artists. Next door to the museum is the church where Robert Frost, the American poet, is buried.

Unfortunately the church was locked so we couldn't see the inside but we were able to see Frost's grave.

We then went to the Park-McCullough mansion, a fine example of 19th century American architecture.

The mansion was built by a 19th century lawyer who made his money in the gold rush. It was the former residence of two governors of Vermont.

Nearby were three more covered bridges. We have now found out that they were built this way to give the bridges protection from the weather.

We left Bennington for Saratoga Springs, just across the border, in New York state. Saratoga Springs is famous for its spring water as well as horse racing, It was a favourite recreational area in the early 20th century. The drive then took us the final 30 miles to where Jim and Leejun Taylor live in Mayfield on the shore of lake Sacandaga.

Above is the view across the lake from their back garden. A wonderful location.

April 24th - Mayfield, New York

2009-09-24T15:18:00.000-07:00

Our first full day here with Jim and Leejun. The weather continues to be fine, though the temperature has fallen from the high eighties we had yesterday.

Jim & Leejun had planned a full day of visits for us. First off was a tour of Jim's truly incredible collection of cars. We followed him in his Ferrari Super America, one of only 100 imported into the United States.

A fine prelude to visiting his truly incredible collections of cars. He has over 100, with wonderful examples of many great Jaguars, Aston Martins, Maseratis, Fords, Chevy Corvettes and numerous other makes of car from all over the world. He insists on driving them, and they are all kept in full road running order.

A stunning Maserati Ghibli, with Jaguar E Types and S Types in the background.

Amongst the Jaguars he has a very rare blue 1955 'D'Type No.515.

The cockpit of the D Type.

A pristine Jaguar XK220, with the D Type (bonnet/hood up) in the background.

This is a beautiful 1931 Cadillac, in front of his extensive range of American made cars from the 20's, 30's and 40's. You may be able to pick out the 1946 Buick 'Woody' on the far right.

The three of us, Bob, Jim and myself discussing the Cadillac

More early American cars.

One of the large collection of Aston Martins.

We then went on to see his manufacturing business, the Taylor Made Corporation. No, not golf clubs, but the largest manufacturer of windscreens for yachts and boats in the world. He has factories in the US, Ireland, UK, Australia and New Zealand. We were given a complete tour of the factory seeing how the windscreens are made. Close by is another large factory where they manufacture accessories for boats like fenders and boat covers. In fact, they have over 20,000 different product items. It is a very impressive operation and is the largest employer in the Gloversville region of New York state.

April 25th - Mayfield, New York

2009-09-23T15:29:00.000-07:00

We started the day by driving to Jim's garage to have my car checked over before we leave it with Jim and then it is shipped to India in August. I found that the front wheel alignment was 'out' as the front tyres are wearing unevenly. Jim has kindly asked his friend, Herb, to help us sort out any problems. So, Herb is arranging for the car to go to a wheel alignment centre as well as to a service garage for the engine oil and filter to be changed.

Jim had arranged for us to drive some of his cars! We collected a Ford GT40, a Chevy Corvette Z06 and an Aston Martin Vanquish S!!!

All three cars have engines producing over 500bhp! To see them going in convoy to Saratoga Springs was quite something. First, we went to the Saratoga Motor Museum where Jim is a founding member and major supporter. A very interesting display of motorbikes and old cars is currently being shown. Steve McQueen's US Army bike used in the film, The Great Escape'

A stunningly beautiful Pierce Arrow from the early thirties.

In the afternoon we took a three hour drive north of Saratoga Springs to Lake George, another location famed for victorious battles against the British. Close by is one of the children adventure camps that Jim is heavily involved with, the Double H, Hole in the Woods. These camps, there are now six of them in the US, were started by the film star Paul Newman. You can look at their website to find out exactly how they help disadvantaged children (www.doublehranch.org) We then drove down through the mountains to join a great twisty drive along the shores of Lake Sacandaga, before returning to Mayfield. It was an unbelievable experience as we took turns to drive all three cars. 'The saying 'boys with their toys' comes to mind as I look at the three cars parked by the side of the road, with Bob and Jim about to drive away.

We dropped the cars back at the garage and collected the two Landcruisers. It will take some time to get used to the 4x4's again!!

This evening we went out to a local restaurant for our farewell dinner with Jim, Leejun, Bob & Thelma. Bob and Thelma will be flying out of JFK, New York on Friday, whereas we are flying from Boston. Tomorrow Jim & Leejun are flying to New Orleans, while we drive to Boston and Bob & Thelma take the train from Albany to New York. The end of a wonderful trip is nearly upon us.

April 26th - Mayfield, New York to Boston, Massachusettes

2009-09-22T13:56:00.000-07:00

Our hosts for the past three days, Jim and Leejun, left for their trip to New Orleans before we woke. Jim had arranged for his friend, Herb, to take us all to Albany where we were hiring a car from Hertz for the drive to Boston, whilst Bob and Thelma were taking the Amtrak to New York.

We loaded all our luggage into Herb's van and followed him in our Landcruisers to where they were going to be stored for the next four months, before they are shipped to India in late August. We parked the cars and took the photo below, as we said goodbye to our very reliable vehicles.

The drive to Albany took less than an hour and we collected our rental car and said goodbye to Bob & Thelma and Herb. We all agreed that there hadn't been one day that we had not enjoyed and there was a general feeling of sadness that it was now coming to an end.

We left Albany and drove the 170 miles to Boston on the Interstate Highway. We arrived around 2pm and had the time to do a walking tour of the area near the hotel. We saw the Old State Building.

We then walked to see the current State House.

We took this photo of the State House from Boston Common.

A short distance from Boston Common is the Granary Burial Ground, where Benjamin Franklin's parents are buried.

. Finally a photo of the really awful looking Boston City Hall.

We are up early tomorrow to catch our 8.20am flight for London. A great adventure is about to end.

April 29th - London and 'thank yous'

2009-09-21T02:45:00.000-07:00

I have received a complaint from a reader of this blog, and he knows who that is, that I haven't finished the blog with a post from London!!

Well, to satisfy him, and anyone else who might be interested, we took off from Boston on Friday morning in a torrential downpour. How the weather changed over night! We considered ourselves lucky that we hadn't decided to stay another night in Boston, especially when we learnt that the temperature in London was in the mid seventies.

Our flight was a quick six hours and we landed at Heathrow at just after 7.30pm. Our taxi was waiting for us and we arrived back at our house in south-east London at 9.15pm. So, all in all, not a bad journey, though a sad one when we think of what a wonderful trip we have had and that it is now well and truly over.

The time has come to post our thanks to all those who have helped to make this such a fun trip, so here goes, hopefully in the order of the tour, and apologies if I have left anyone, or anything, out I should have mentioned.

Firstly, to our son, Edward, in Malibu, who helped us so much before we arrived in the States, especially with arranging the collection and delivery of the cars after they arrived back from Panama in January. Thanks a million Ed. Next to Les and Barbara, in Malibu, for putting up with all my demands on them, before, during and now, after the trip. Then it's a huge thank you to Leejun and Jim Taylor for putting us up at their homes in Vail, Colorado and Mayfield, New York and how can I thank Jim for letting me loose driving three of his supercars! We are still hoping they might join us on the Tour of India. Even if you don't tour India please come and stay with us in the UK. That goes for all our American friends.

The thanks continue and this time to the aliens in Roswell, though I still don't believe they ever came!!
Then it has to be thank you to Kenny and DeeAnne Croucher, El Paso, Texas for welcoming us to their home, their hospitality and finally for scaring the living daylights out of me when Kenny let Bob fly his plane, with me as a passenger in the back! Also in El Paso a big thank you to Ernie Nelan for her fantastic salad.

Moving on in Texas, grateful thanks to Ahmad Fakhr, Lida and the two dogs (sorry I've forgotten their names) of San Antonio, Texas, for their hospitality, especially their wonderful Iranian cooking and then the guided tour of San Antonio.

It would be wrong not to thank the residents of New Orleans who have gone through hell with Hurricane Katrina and still managed to show us what a special place New Orleans is to visit. We will be back. Next it has to be the cop who let me off the speeding ticket near Syracuse, New York and then the chef and his staff at the Inn at Essex, Vermont for the best meal out we have ever had. Moving east, thanks to the Bush family for allowing a parking lay-by opposite their house so that curious tourists can stop and take photos!

Then thanks go to Herb from Mayfield/Gloversville, New York, for all the help he gave with the cars, and continues to give, and the lift to the airport.

The people of the United States who were always friendly, helpful and interested in the cars, our past tours and the tour of the States.

Finally, a very special thank you to Bob and Thelma who made the trip such fun for us. From the very first time I mentioned to them that we wanted to do this trip, their enthusiasm has never waned. They helped to make it 'another trip of a lifetime' for Wendy and me, thank you both. We can't wait for India!